~ for the love of family, friends, food & travel.

Monthly Archives: June 2014

I love soursop, it’s one of my favourite fruits. When I chanced upon it at a local fruit stall recently, I quickly grabbed a ripen one home. Like passionfruit (also a favourite), it has a very distinct taste of its own. I especially love its creamy tangy pulp mixed with plain yogurt or fruit juices. It tastes even better when chilled. If the fruit is too big to be consumed at one time, just remove the skin and freeze the pulp. It freezes well and can be kept in the freezer for quite a while. Defrost pulp before use. Makes a refreshing tangy dessert especially on a warm day or after a spicy meal.

SOURSOP WITH MIXED FRUITS

Ingredients (serves 4)
(A)
500ml water
a few pandan leaves
some raw sugar
– (this pandan flavoured sweet base is just an option and can be substituted with lemonade or just water & syrup)

We reached Ximending in central Taipei at about 5pm yesterday and bid Mr Lee goodbye. He’s a competent driver and guide, certainly a good contact to keep. Ximending is a shopping and food haven and the shops stayed opened until almost midnight.

DAY 5 – PINGXI, TAIPEI

On Day 5 in Taipei, we initially planned to visit Shifen (十份), Pingxi (平西) and Jiufen (九份). These old towns are rich in culture and history and it is easy to get there. Shifen and Pingxi are situated along the same Pingxi Railway Line. We started our day late (almost noon) and as it was raining when we reached Shifen, we proceeded straight to Pingxi instead and subsequently didn’t go back there. We didn’t visit Jiufeng either as it was getting late and the weather was wet. It was a pity to miss Shifen as the Shifen Waterfall (十分大瀑布) was supposedly the most scenic one in Taiwan. A lesson learnt here – as train service starts as early as 5am, do plan your day trip ahead so that you can cover more places.

Nevertheless, we had a wonderful afternoon in Pingxi. Step off the train at Pingxi Train Station and you are transported to an old world where shops built-in the 1930s and wooden houses built during the Japanese Occupation still stand. Lined long the old streets are a modern cafe and shops selling souvenirs, trinkets and traditional delicacies. We strolled through the old streets and tried a nice dessert with a combination of assorted beans and chewy sweet potato and yam glutinous rice balls, and a local snack we especially enjoyed called Dachang Bao Xiaochang (大腸包小腸) which literally means “small sausage in big sausage”. It’s actually a taiwanese sausage wrapped in fragrant glutinous rice. It is then slit and stuffed with an assortment of peanut powder, pickled mustard greens, cilantro, sauce, etc before being heated on an open grill. Served hot, it’s delicious!

our favourite desserts from Pingxi old town

Another major attraction in Pingxi is flying sky lanterns (天灯). The story goes that in olden Pingxi days, the sky lanterns were supposedly a way for people to notify each other in case of theft. Today, it has become the famous Lantern Festival in Taiwan where people write their wishes for health, wealth or success on the lanterns and release them into the sky in the hope that their wishes will be fulfilled. The practice is so popular that it has become a major draw for tourists to Pingxi to experience it on any day. Ready-made lanterns are sold in many shops along the old streets and some can also teach you how to make one. We tried our hands at it at a make shift stall just beside the train station and it was real fun !

By Train: From Taipei Main Station, take a northbound train (except Keelung-bound trains) towards Ruifang Station. Transfer to the Pingxi Line (平溪線) and purchase a One Day Ticket for the Pingxi Line, NT$52.

By Train: From Taipei, take the train north to Ruifang Station. After exiting the station, cross the street to the bus stop next to the Wellcome Supermarket and board the Keelung Transit bus towards Jiufen. The bus trip takes roughly 15 minutes, and the fare is NT$21 during the week,NT$15 during weekends/holiday.

By Bus (via MRT): From Zhongxiao Fuxing (忠孝復興), Brown and Blue lines, leave from Exit 1 and take bus route 1062 (Keelung Bus) to Jiufen. The ride is about 1 hour and the fare is NT$90. Be sure to sit on the left side of the bus to enjoy scenic views of Northern Taiwan.

DAY 6 – TAIPEI

We spent Day 6 shopping and trying more local food in Ximending. There are so many night markets in Taipei that you can’t possibly visit them in a day or two. Ask your hotel reception for advice or get useful info online such as http://ieatandeat.com/taiwan-day-6-taipei-ximending

After a hearty breakfast, we bid goodbye to Pine Villa and set off for our journey to Olive-Tree Minsu (南庄民宿橄欖樹) at Miaoli Country. Along the way, Mr Lee showed us other interesting places in Yilan.

(A) KING CAR WHISKY DISTILLERY, YILAN – Established in 1956, it is also the manufacturer of ready-to-drink coffee ‘Mr. Brown’ which is also popular in Europe. We took a tour of its distillery and visitors are encouraged to try their various coffee mixes and their coffee flavoured liquor.

(B) Wang Lung Lake (望龙埤), Yilan – On the way for lunch, Mr Lee stopped by this lake. Nothing in particular here, just a beautiful lake surrounded by mountains and greeneries. In any way, online search yielded no info either. Noticed many locals strollling and having picnics there. Several nice cafes lined the road near its entrance.

(C) LUNCH AT LAO MA MA FERMENTED BEANCURD CHICKEN (老妈妈豆腐乳鸡) – A short drive down the road from Wang Lung Lake, we had our lunch at a homely restaurant named 老妈妈豆腐乳鸡. Popular with the locals, it serves chicken seasoned with homemade fermented bean curd and then roasted to perfection. Tender and delicious, it is recommended to tear the meat and eat it wrapped in a crispy lettuce leaf. Served with a steaming pot of wild mushroom soup and a refreshing salad, it makes a wonderful & satisfying meal. Highly recommended !

finger-licking good !

After our sumptuous lunch, Mr Lee took us to a confectionary factory but we weren’t interested so we continued on our journey to Jiaoxi Township which is famous for its natural hot springs, the most famous one here being Jiaoxi Hot Springs Park (礁溪溫泉公園). Due to time constraint, however, we had to forego the luxury of this natural hot spa in order to reach Miaoli before nightfall. The disappointment was quickly replaced with glee as Mr Lee introduced us to Chilli Museum (Làjiāo Wénhuàguǎn – 辣椒文化館), an ice-cream palour offering spicy ice-cream in different degrees of spiciness. Believe me, this isn’t quite your cup of icre-cream!

Test your spicy threshold here !

The locals here are fortunate to have a natural hot spring stream running through their estate. Here they could enjoy foot soak at any time of the day. How blessed !

a natural hotspring just a step away from home… how fortunate !

It was almost 6pm when we finally reached Nanzhuang, a rural township in Miaoli County inhabited mostly by Hakka people. As it was drizzling and we were eager to check into our minsu, we decided to check out Nanzhuang’s famous old street (老街) the next morning instead and settled for a simple meal in one of the many small Hakka restaurants there.

From the old street, it took another half an hour to reach our accommodation at Olive-Tree Minsu (南庄民宿橄欖樹). As Mr Lee drove into its driveway, lo and behold, we unanimously “WAaaaa……” at the forested sight before us that seemed like a 3D popped-out from a fairy-tale book. We literary jumped out of the car and forgot our luggages…haha.. I’m not sure about guys but young gals (or rather, as long as you’re young at heart) would certainly love this resort! And if you’re looking for a place away from the maddening crowd, this is it!

the secuded and alluring frontage that greeted us upon our arrival in the evening

around the corridors….

our big & spacious room for 4 pax

day view of the wooden lodge where the reception is; here is also where the owner retreats in a upper room to create all the cute displays seen all around the resort

There are several dining areas around the resort, both indoor and outdoor. This white & purple house holds two dining rooms (one at the top & one below) where guests can unwind over a cuppa or a book

great potting inspirations here !

DAY 4 – FM MIAOLI TO TAIPEI (NT5000)

Breakfast was included in our reservation and consisted of a thick toast with several choices of spread – chocolate, peanut butter, jam or garlic with a onsen egg, a slice of sweet potatoes, salad, and a hot beverage (sufficient carbo to keep us going for half a day). After that, we checked-out to explore Miaoli before proceeding to Taipei.

our big breakfast at Olive-Tree Minsu

(A) DONGHE SUSPENSION BRIDGE, MIAOLI (东河吊挢) – Our first stop was here. Built in 1930, the old Donghe Bridge was originally a suspension bridge to link Taiyuan Basin and the Donghe Tribe to the only road that goes to Singong. However, it was damaged by typhoon and rebuilt in 1953.

not for the faint-hearted as it can sway quite violently if someone runs or stamps on it

(B) XIANGTIAN LAKE @ NANZHUANG TOWNSHIP, MIAOLI (向天湖）- At 738m above sea level, Xiangtian Lake is surrounded by mountains and green forests. Dense vapor on the lake makes the place mysterious but calming as well. As we strolled along, colourful butterflies and dragonflies flutter along the way and above the waters. Fresh air here makes it a peaceful & serene park for a stroll any time.

pretty flies abound here !

(C) OLD STREET @ NANZHUANG, MIAOLI (老街) – A very popular tourist attraction in Miaoli. Walking around this old rural street with red brick walls, old shop houses and flagstone alleys is like taking a step back in time. Traditional food, crafts and wares such as potteries, wooden wares, trinkets, etc are sold here.. Still in existence is a restored old post office built during the Japanese Occupation. Very interesting.

take a step back in time here

(D) LONGTENG BRIDGE (龍騰斷橋) @ SANYI TOWNSHIP, MIAOLI – Today, the remnants of Longteng Bridge, an arched railway bridge, serves as a reminder of Sanyi’s past heyday as a vibrant coal mining town. Built in 1905, it was destroyed by a major earthquake in 1935.

remnants of the once majestic Longteng Bridge

(E) SHENGXING RAILWAY STATION @ SANYI TOWNSHIP, MIAOLI ( 勝興車站 ) – The train station, completed in 1906, is built entirely of wood in the Japanese huya (literary ‘teeth of a tiger’) style, which is supposed to ward off evil spirits. Many artifacts from the Japanese occupation period can still be seen here, such as the old train signals. The last trained service stopped on September 23, 1998.

Shenxing Station, also formerly known as the Sixteen Station (十六份）

the food & shopping street located just beside Shenxing Station

If in Miaoli, the other not to be missed visit is Sanyi Wood Sculpture Museum. Mr Lee drove past the wood carving street and suggested that we explore it. However, walking in the lousy hot and wet weather since morning had taken a toll on us so we told him to proceed straight to our hotel in Ximenting, Taipei. (More info on this at http://go2taiwan.net/wood_carving.php)

It was a last minute decision. We brainstormed and planned our itinerary in just two days, but we did it – a free and easy 7D6N sightseeing, eating and shopping vacation in Yilan, Miaoli and Taipei for a week. This wasn’t my first trip to Taiwan but it was certainly much more enjoyable than my earlier ones. Rather than trying to cover more of Taiwan, we decided to just spend more time in Yilan, Miaoli and Taipei to explore more of its local cuisines and places of interests. Moving at a slower pace allowed us to do just that. We came home happy, rejuvenated and loaded with wonderful memories. Thank you JE, 小C and 大C for a very enjoyable holiday indeed. We were glad we made the right decision to hire a personal local guide this time as it allowed us the flexibility of time and places to visit. Together with our guide Mr Lee (who was also the owner of Pine Villa, Yilan, where we stayed), a very personalised tour was designed to suit our interest that included locations normally not frequented by tourists. Mr Lee is a very accommodating and friendly person who took the extra mile to make us feel at home. Hence, if you wish to experience the same hospitality and sight-seeing route as us, do feel free to contact him directly. He will be more than happy to serve you even if you do not stay at his villa (see “ACCOMMODATION/CONTACT INFO” below for his contact details).

7D6N TAIPEI-YILAN-MIAOLI-TAIPEI

*If you plan to visit Taiwan during summer, do remember to pack a UV brolley, sunglasses, mosquito repellent and a really good sunscreen lotion. Despite the hot & wet weather, we had a great time and decided that we should share our itinerary with others who may be interested.

We booked home-stay and hotel that could accommodate 4 pax in a room with breakfast included.

A) In Yilan County : PINE VILLA – 宜蘭‧松滿緣渡假民宿 (http://pinebnb.com)
Contact Person : Mr Lee Chow Song, Owner Email : d1681214@gmail.com
– a very pleasant three storey villa with a beautiful driveway housing 10-12 rooms set in different unique themes to suit your liking
– villa is very clean and well-kept – rooms are available for 2 pax, 4 pax, 6 pax and 8 pax
– our room for 4 pax has 2 queen-sized beds and a clean and decent bathroom
– an extra bathroom is available on every floor outside the bedrooms for guests’ use
– coffee & tea making facility is provided in the room

PINE VILLA (Mr Lee is the gentleman in green polo. The lady in black/striped top is Ms. Lee, sister of Mr Lee, also a co-owner of the Villa)

(B) In Miaoli County : Olive-Tree Minsu – 橄欖樹民宿 (http://olive-tree.idv.tw)
Email: kerr71530@yahoo.com.tw
– a very lovely countryside resort home spread over a large forested area and built with a “story-book” theme that would certainly appeal to the young and romantic young-at-heart
– the roooms are airy and large and are set in different beautiful themes to suit your liking
– the resort is surrounded by beautiful trees, plants & flowers
– resort is very well-kept and tidy
– rooms are available for 2 pax and 4 pax
– our room for 4 pax comes with 2 king-sized beds and a cosy bathroom
– coffee & tea making facility is provided in the room

Olive-Tree Minsu – 橄欖樹民宿

(C) In Taipei : Hanson Business Hotel @ Ximenting Web: hansomehotel.com.tw
– an average 3-stars business hotel
– there are nicer and more modern hotels around Ximenting but we chose this as the room for 4 pax is fairly large with 2 queen-sized beds, a sofa bed, a dresser, wardrobe, coffee & tea facilities and a good-sized bathroom

(E) 1-day Taipei sight-see to Jiufeng, Shifeng and Pinxi, contact Mr Liu (email: punctuallima@hotmail.com). A friend hired and recommended this contact. Fare is NT4500 for 4 pax. (However, we didn’t hire him as we decided to explore at our own pace via public transport instead).

(F) Airport transfer :
– By hotel – 1-way transfer from Hansome Business Hotel to airport in a private 7-seater SUV is NT1100 (we opt for this out of convenience)
– By public taxi – taxis are easily available on the street but you need to make prior arrangement with them for pickup from hotel to airport. Fare is slightly cheaper, about NT1000.

** For (A) to (D) above, contact Mr Lee Chow Song, our driver cum tour guide, also owner of Pine Villa (email: d1681214@gmail.com). Fare quoted was for 4 pax in a 7-seater SUV (fare valid as at June 2014). His transport service is not exclusive to only those who stay in his villa so do feel free to email him about transportation service to other counties from Yilan.

TAIPEI – YILAN by private car @ NT1800
Mr Lee, owner of Pine Villa and our chartered driver, came punctually to pick us up from the airport in a 7-seater SUV. From the airport, we headed straight for Yilan County. The journey was about one and a half hours. Upon reaching Yilan County, we stopped for breakfast and tried their famous pork noodles. After checking into Pine Villa, we went out on our own to explore the National Center for Traditional Arts and then to Luodong Night Market (note : the transportation cost from Taipei Airport to Yilan County @ NT1800 did not include sightseeing on the first day).

Famous Luo Dong Night Market, a lively food & shopping haven for both locals and tourists; a must-go place when in Yilan. An area lined with endless stalls selling Yilan local specialities that were too tempting to be missed. We tasted all the highly recommended delicious snacks from the popular vendors above. The food is unique to Yilan and really not to be skipped as they are different from that of other night markets around Taiwan.

Detailed map of LuoDong Night Market (click on map to enlarge). The food vendors’ stall names are listed in Chinese on the right. Do look out for those vendors recommended above.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

DAY 2

YILAN COUNTY – 1 DAY TOUR @ NT3500

The next morning, after a refreshing breakfast of sandwiches stuffed with crispy greens and fruits served with aromatic coffee in the villa, we set off at 10.30am for our full day sightseeing tour with Mr Lee behind the wheels again.

Daily breakfast was included in our reservation. We were offered several choices and were delighted with these crispy vegetarian sandwiches as well as ham & cheese ones. Thumbs up for the very aromatic vanilla nut flavored coffee served !

(A) SANXIN SPRING ONION CULTURE MUSEUM – Sanxing town in Yilan is famous for its sweet and succulent spring onions. The interactive museum is built-in 2005 to educate and introduce its cultivation and various uses in local cuisines. Entrance to the museum is free. A varieties of ‘all-things spring onion’ products like sauces, biscuits, frozen snacks and even ice-cream are available here for sale. The spring onion flavoured ice-cream is a must-try. Certainly a unique concoction not to be missed.

Enroute to the next destination, Mr Lee took us to a roadside stall selling freshly made and fried spring onion pancakes. He claimed it was the best stall in town and he was absolutely right! The pancakes were generously stuffed with sweet succulent spring onions and then deep-fried until golden brown. Every bite burst with spring onion sweetness we just couldn’t stop at one !

The Ho brothers – brilliant masterminds behind this delicious snack

(C) MEIHUA LAKE (梅花湖) – Meihua Lake is in Dongshan Township near LuoDong. A beautiful natural lake to stroll or bike around or just enjoy its serenity in one of the lovely cafes by the lake. Pretty carriages for rent are available from the various shops lining the road leading to the lake.

Scenic Meihua Lake – a nice park for bird watching too !

our motorised yellow duckie carriage

Another very exclusive dessert sold here by another pair of enterprising young men (Mr Lee also claimed this stall was the best in Ylan) was a wrap consisting of caramel peanut brittle, ice-cream and cilantro tightly rolled in a “popiah” skin. Our verdict – YUMMILICIOUS !!

peanut brittle wrap – indeed a love-at-first-bite exclusive dessert !

(D) NAN-FAN-AO FISHING PORT (南方澳渔港) – The biggest fishing port in East Taiwan. Many shops selling dried seafood (scallops, oysters, squids, fish, seaweed, etc) line the road. Fresh seafood are also available for sale in a wet market a short distance down the road. Take your pick and have it cooked in a food center next to it at NT100 per dish. Needless to say, we enuthsiatically made our selection and the cooked seafood was served in less than half an hour. Excellent!

A long row of shops selling dried seafood. The happy lady who rewarded us with 3 packs of different flavoured roasted cuttlefish snacks, in her words – “to munch on the road” after our purchases at her shop 😀

Game for collagen-loaded giant fish eyes? These and a wide variety of fresh catch of the day such as lobsters, prawns, salmon, squids, clams etc are available for sale daily. Take your pick and have them cooked instantly at NT100 per dish (excludes price of seafood).

our delicious spread

After our very satisfied meal, Mr Lee took us to the nearby beach at SuAo for a stroll (also known as 内埤情人弯). How peculiar – the beach here is pebbled, not sandy! Wouldn’t it be nice to just laze in the lovely white and blue greek-styled cafe here to enjoy the beautiful ocean view and breeze with a coffee in hand? Perhaps the next time…..

A paranomic view of the beach

the lovely cafe is just 20m from the beach; those dogs surely know how to enjoy life 😀

(E) JIMMY THEMED PARK – Jimmy Liao is a well-known Taiwanese illustrator as well as a picture book writer. A very nice open space area near Yilan Train Station is dedicated to the installation of themes from his popular picture books. Despite the heavy showers when we were there, we nevertheless had fun posing with some of the artworks. More info on Jimmy Liao at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Liao

some of the themes around the square

We completed our sightseeing for the day at around 6pm and suggested to Mr Lee that we should have “Luodong street-food feast” at his Villa. He gladly sent us there to “ta-bao” (打包). Back at Pine Villa he surprised us with more of the local fares (he went to get them while we were making our rounds), brought out beer and thoughtfully made a pot of organic lotus flower tea for us. Certainly a nice happy ending to our second and last night stay in Yilan. We would definitely be back again!

While on a recent trip to Yilan county in Taiwan, my friends and I fell in love with their local cuisines, especially spring onion pancakes and bread. Yilan’s Sanxing Township is a prime producer of juicy, sweet and succulent spring onions. A museum was actually opened in 2005 to introduce its cultivation and types of uses. At the museum, there were all kinds spring onion related food products ranging from sauces to biscuits, and even ice-cream, for sale.

Inspired by the spring onion buns we had in Yilan, I gamely made these spring onion pinwheel buns. Biting into it surely brought back fond memories of our happy days there. Mmmm… what a flavourful bread….yummy !

1) When the dough is ready for use, divide bread dough into 3 equal portions and mould into balls. Leave to rest for another 15 mins.

2) After that, roll each ball of dough to a 18cm x 20cm rectangle.

3) Spread spring onion filling mixture evenly over dough. (I also spread one of the rolls with some leftover Tuna Fish Floss for a different variation)

4) Roll up like a swiss roll and cut into six equal pinwheels.

5) Place pinwheel slightly apart on a baking pan lined with parchment and set aside in a warm place to proof for 50 mins.

6) Preheat oven at 180°C for 10mins. Before baking, egg-wash the bread (using the egg liquid in the spring onion mixture) and then put some spring-onion topping mixture on it. (Optional – you may also sprinkle some sesame seeds for an extra crunch)

Psalm 103:2-5
New International Version (NIV)2 Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.